Counting the Cost
by ackeberlynn
Summary: Five-0 has been ripped apart by forces from the outside as well as from within, and it will only get worse before it gets better. A post-finale, semi-sequel to "Broken Promises," but it can stand alone.  Danny/whump, Steve/whump, H/C and angst.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing but the plot, and do not intent to profit from this work of fiction.

**Author's Note**: I have no idea where this one came from. Danny/whump, Steve/whump, all around H/C and angst.

It is a post-finale, semi-sequel to "Broken Promises." But you don't have to read that one to appreciate this.

**Warnings**: Some language, some violence, some mature themes. And I know nothing about prisons, so please forgive any mistakes in accuracy.

**Chapter 1**: Walking with the Wounded

* * *

><p><em>"I think that you like to be the guy that everyone thinks does everything right - but we both know that you made mistakes!" <em>

Words are funny things.

Once leaving the mouth they evaporate into the air, leaving no trace of their existence. But the heart that captures their reverberations is stained forever by the imprints left behind.

Mattie was right.

That's why it hurts so much.

Because Danny couldn't keep his promises and Danny kept making mistakes.

Like not paying attention enough to realize he was being tailed on his way back from visiting Steve in prison.

He couldn't remember where the hit came from. One minute he was wearily stepping out of the Camero and the next his head was bashed into the car door.

He could remember being only half-aware as foreign hands hastily searching his pockets, and then he must have groaned, because whoever it was hit him again.

Bright sparks of color exploded his vision, and he fell abruptly into nothingness.

He awoke to a headache so severe that he could barely open his eyes, and a ringing in his ears so loud that he couldn't hear but bits of sound.

He groaned again, and someone dumped a bucket of what felt like ice-water over his head.

Danny gasped, his head jerking upward as the cold overwhelmed the rest of his senses.

The obnoxious ringing in his ears receded as his hearing returned, and he forced his throbbing eyes to stay open at half-mast.

Two thugs stood on either side of him, one holding a bucket. He could barely make out a third figure before his vision puttered out again, standing in front of him with hands held leisurely behind his back.

"Are you with us now, Detective Williams?"

Danny knew that voice – that smug, blatantly indifferent tone.

"You s-sonofabitch," was all he could choke past trembling lips.

"You will find that it is not wise to insult the one holding all the cards."

"F'r one who's holdin' a-all the cards, you're not very original," Danny muttered painfully, his words slurring badly as he forced them past a tongue that refused to work properly.

"Tied to a chair in th' m-middle of a basem'nt? S'already been done."

"You should save your energy, Detective. You are going to be my guest for awhile."

"What're you gonna do?" Danny demanded.

"Well, that depends on how your partner reacts to the pictures I am going to send him."

A shiver traveled down the blonde man's spine at the words.

"What do you think, Detective? Will it drive him mad to know that he is responsible for your torture?"

"You're gonna go down," Danny retorted, his tone deadly-calm. "I might not be around to see it, but someday you're gonna end up sittin' in a chair behind a glass wall, with an injection needle in your arm."

"Oh, Detective," the voice replied. "Surely you are not so naïve as to believe that."

Something changed suddenly then in the atmosphere of the room, and Danny felt his body tense.

The voice seemed further away this time, but the figures on either side of him shifted even closer.

"Make sure there is a lot of blood," the voice ordered, and somewhere a door clicked shut.

Danny would later find it merciful that he was already on the verge of passing out before the first blow hit his body.

* * *

><p>Steve lay stretched out on his bunk, arms linked behind his head, staring intently at the ceiling.<p>

His mind had been churning with even more questions since Danny's visit yesterday.

It was hard not to wallow in the guilt.

He'd acted purely on emotion going after the Governor, whereas if he'd have laid low for a few days, he might have been able to gather enough evidence to clear his name.

Still, it felt damn good to have that confession - to at least hear her side of it.

But at what cost to his team? His friends?

Kono had lost her badge and now faced criminal charges.

Danny had also lost his badge, albeit not formally. HPD treated him like a leper because he was McGarrett's partner.

And he knew Danny was running himself ragged. The stress of the job and not being with his family were already taking a toll. Yesterday the man had looked awfully pale, and his tone had lacked its usual buoyancy.

But Steve also firmly believed that, come hell or high-water, if anyone could get him out of this mess, it was Detective Danny Williams.

Chin was another story.

Steve had been baffled to learn that Chin had been promoted to lieutenant in the HPD, but had enough faith in the man to know that he'd accepted the offer for a reason, that he would never betray his former partner's son.

But what motive was there in giving Chin back his badge?

What bothered him was the timing. It was all at once – all too convenient, and even though it was merely a hunch, Steve secretly wondered if the Chief of Police might be dirty as well.

If that was true, it would make it ten times more difficult - and more dangerous - to clear him and Kono.

It was driving him crazy, being so useless in here and not knowing what was going on.

Luckily he'd earned himself a private room after his former roommate jumped him – it seemed word got around fast that the former leader of 5.0 was in prison. He'd held his own in the fight but the burly man had still gotten a jab at his eye before they were pulled apart by the guards.

"Hey, McGarrett. You got mail." A guard stood at the door with a yellow envelope in his hand, interrupting Steve's thoughts.

The former SEAL frowned as he accepted the familiar-looking envelope that slid through the metal bars.

He hadn't been expecting mail.

His heart began to race with adrenaline when noticed that the envelope had no address, just his name scrawled in chicken scratch across the front.

Just like the envelopes he received every Wednesday, only without Laura Hills' cursive handwriting.

Steve waited until the guard walked away before ripping the envelope open and pulling out its contents.

At first it didn't register what he was looking at; then he realized the crisp photos were upside down.

As he turned them in his hand, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

Once it registered what he was seeing, it felt like somebody dropped an anvil in Steve's stomach. His breath caught in his throat, his stomach rolling with nausea.

The pictures showed Danny slumped limply in a chair, hands bound behind his back, head hanging against his chest. His work-shirt was ripped and smeared liberally with blood that dripped copiously from his head and face. The red mingled with his blonde hair, making it look dirty.

Steve shut his eyes, clamping down on the rage that boiled quickly within him.

He knew the photos were real. He also knew they were sent by Wo Fat.

But he'd be damned if he was going to walk into another trap. There was too much at stake this time.

When he opened his eyes again, Steve's features were stony, the familiar emotional mask he'd learned to utilize in the SEALS firmly in place.

He stuffed the photos back inside the envelope and walked over to his sink. There, next to the where the back of the sink attached to the wall, was the loose brick Steve had found his first night at Halawa Correctional.

He'd gone over every inch of the cell, looking for possible exploitations, but almost missed the loose brick which had obviously been used by former inmates to hide prison contraband.

Steve used it now to hide the photos of his badly beaten partner.

Then he stood and walked over to the cell door and, leaning his arms on either side of it, shouted through the bars for a guard.

It took him a few minutes to get some attention, but eventually a pot-bellied corrections officers walked over to him.

"What are you hollering about, McGarrett?" the man growled, clearly irritated by the yelling.

"I need to make a phone call," Steve spoke calmly, an underlying urgency in his tone.

"You know you have to wait for your designated time," the guard passively replied. "You don't get special treatment just because you're name's McGarrett."

"I don't want special treatment – I just want to make a phone call. It's an emergency."

"You'll wait your turn like everybody else," the guard said, turning away.

"Please – please, it's a matter of life and death," Steve insisted desperately, but to no avail.

"Damn it!" He yelled out in frustration, running his hand through his hair and kicking the cell door.

Turning, he paused, a half-thought forming in his brain.

Mustering up all the rage he'd kept bottled up inside for years, Steve began tearing the contents of his cell apart.

* * *

><p>Danny awoke a second time to find himself lying on his back, hands bound in front of him.<p>

He felt something soft underneath his head, and that was enough of a surprise for him to risk opening his eyes.

They slid open to slits, but he couldn't get his vision to focus. He shifted slightly, then winced as a bolt of agony shot through his brain.

"I wouldn't move if I were you, bruddah. 'Dat head of yours looks like it was used as a punching bag."

The thick, familiar Hawaiian voice was laced with remorse, and Danny frowned in confusion.

He opened his mouth to speak, licking lips caked with dried blood.

"Kam...?"

"'De one and only, brah."

"How?"

"Don't you worry about 'dat now. I'm gonna get you outta 'dis."

Danny's world tilted suddenly, and the vertigo caused him to gag.

Then he moved his head the wrong way and everything faded to a white noise.

* * *

><p>Chin worried his lip as he walked into the psychiatric ward of the Halawa Correctional Facility.<p>

He'd received a call a few hours ago that Steve McGarrett had been put on suicide watch, and being as they could not reach his listed next-of-kin Danny Williams, they'd called him.

Chin hadn't spoken to Danny since the night Steve was arrested.

He'd been deeply wounded by the thought that Danny believed he was capable of betraying Five-0.

Of course, he hadn't had time to explain what he was doing or why, but had thought the rest of the team would understand that he was acting in good faith.

Obviously, he'd been mistaken.

Hell, he didn't know that he'd be arresting Steve that night – how could he have?

"_What did you do, huh? What did you do? You just went back to them after everything they did to you? Huh?" _

Danny's spiteful, accusatory glare had cut Chin to the quick. The blonde man had been understandably incensed by Steve's impromptu arrest and was spoiling for a fight.

Still, it had taken all of Chin's willpower to keep himself from vaulting over the patrol car and jacking the man in the face.

How dare he think Chin would ever betray his Ohana?

After everything they'd been through - how dare he?

So Chin kept his distance, running his own personal investigation into the Governor's murder and keeping close tabs on all of HPD's dealings.

He kept in contact with Kono, who was on house arrest pending her trial. And he assumed Agent Kaye was working with Danny, but that was it.

Now he regretted not speaking to the former Jersey detective - the fact that Halawa couldn't get a hold of the man probably meant something bad had happened to him.

The fact that Steve was on suicide watch in the psychiatric ward meant he probably knew about it.

It took Chin a few seconds to realize the nurse leading him toward Steve's room was talking to him.

"Now we check on our patients every 15 minutes, so he's just about due. And visitors are only allowed 10 minutes."

She knocked on the slightly opened door before entering.

"Mr. McGarrett? You have a visitor."

She turned back to Chin. "He's a lot calmer now than he was. We gave him an anti-depressant."

Chin's eyes widened at that, and he stepped past her into the room.

Steve was lying in a hospital bed on his back, apparently sleeping. His face was covered with minor cuts and bruises, and his left hand was wrapped to the wrist in a bandage.

"Steve?" Chin called softly, stepping toward the bed.

Dark blue eyes fluttered open slowly before blinking owlishly at the lieutenant.

"Chin?" His voice was hoarse.

"Yeah. Hey, you're looking a little worse for the wear, brah."

"S'okay. Had…to get a hold of you," Steve replied slowly.

He was obviously heavily medicated, and seemed to have to concentrate very hard just to get the words out. "Wouldn't…lemme use the…phone."

"Okay. Well I'm here now. Wanna tell me what happened?"

"S'Danny. S'in trouble. Wo Fat."

Chin's eyes widened marginally.

"How do you know?"

Steve frowned, shaking his head slowly. "Got pictures…guard gave 'em to me."

Chin tensed. "Which guard? Do you know his name?"

Steve's eyes squinted shut and pulled a heavy hand up to cover them.

"No, I don't. S'rry. Room's spinnin'…wish they didn't drug me." There was an unusually disconcerted, almost anxious tone in Steve's voice, and Chin reached out to squeeze the younger man's arm.

"Easy, brah. We'll find Danny. Just take it slow."

Steve exhaled loudly, then removed his hand, his eyes remaining closed.

"Can't think on this shit."

Chin's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "You shouldn't have taken it this far, brah. That medicine could really mess with your head if you don't actually have a mental disorder."

"I know. Had to do it…S'was the only way to reach you."

"How'd you get all banged up?"

Steve's eyes drifted open and he shrugged, looking sheepish despite his drugged state.

"I made a mess…fought with the guards."

"Suicide watch?" The older man's voice held a bit of uncertainty.

Steve mustered up a glare. "Broke a mirror...was a strategic move, Chin. S'all."

Chin nodded, not sure if he was satisfied or if he just didn't want to know.

"You said there were pictures."

"Hid 'em. Can't trust…." He trailed off, a clumsy hand waving vaguely.

"Do you remember anything significant about the photos - anything about where Danny might be?"

Steve swallowed, eyes fluttering closed again. "Hard…to tell. Looked like…cement structure…basement, maybe? Know it's not much. Didn't give 'way a lot."

Chin nodded. "Okay. I'll run over to his house and see if I can find anything. You gotta watch your back though, brah. I think Wo Fat has a mole in the HPD."

"Chief," Steve whispered, his mind drifting.

Chin's eyes widened.

"The Chief of Police? You think he's dirty?"

"Maybe. No proof. Be careful."

"You too."

Chin gave Steve's shoulder another pat, then rose to leave, but was stopped when Steve reached out to grasp his wrist in weak grip.

He glanced back and saw Steve staring at him through half-lidded eyes.

"Find him, Chin." The man's voice was desperate – broken.

Chin gently placed Steve's hand back on the bed.

"I will, brah – I promise."

* * *

><p><em>TBC<em>...

**A/N**: Do share your thoughts!

I am behind on responding to reviews only because the links from the site aren't working correctly, but I WILL get back to you, because I appreciate the feedback. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** I'm baa-aack! I do apologize for the long wait. I am working two jobs this summer, and it's only just now starting to slow down.

Thanks to all who haven't given up on me, or this story. And thanks to all who have reviewed/put the story in alerts.

As always, I covet your encouragement, and constructive criticism is more than welcome.

**Chapter 2:** Helpless

* * *

><p><em>Steve steals through the jungle like a creeping, soundless shadow.<em>

_Sweat makes his clothes stick to his body, and the skin on his face stiffens under dark streaks of mud. _

_His eyes glint in the blackness, like a deadly predator stalking his prey._

_Suddenly, the trees around him recede to reveal a stone structure, and Steve lifts his hands to feel along the cool cement wall until he finds an opening. _

_The cement gives way at his touch to reveal a dimly lit hallway, and the former SEAL can feel his heart rate increase as his adrenaline kicks into high-gear, his whole body throbbing with the tension._

_He follows the hallway for what seems like forever, until he arrives at a wooden door. _

_Pushing it open, he sees the object of his misery standing in front of him. _

_At long last, he is face to face with his enemy. _

_Steve stares at Wo Fat dispassionately, noting the blood dripping from the other man's hands. _

"_Kill me, and I win," Wo Fat says smugly, his tone carrying a warning that does not match the dare in his eyes._

_He __wants__ Steve to shoot him. _

_Steve's lips curl in a grotesque smile and he shrugs, his eyes dead._

"_So be it."_

_He raises his arm, gun in hand, and fires point-blank._

_When the sound from the shot fades, Steve holsters his weapon, his face an emotionless mask. _

_He bends down, mechanically checking the body to be sure the man is dead, and momentarily freezes._

_For it is no longer Wo Fat lying dead on the carpet with a bullet in his head - it is Danny._

_Steve can only stare at the open, sightless blue eyes in shock. _

_His eyes travel down to look at his hands – they are wet with Danny's blood. _

_And he feels nothing. _

* * *

><p>Steve jerked awake so fast and so sudden that it jarred the entire cot, the clanging sound of metal and squeaky springs assaulting the quiet of his cell.<p>

Another nightmare.

Ever since the guard had handed him those pictures of Danny, he hadn't been able to sleep.

Last night was his first in the psych ward of the Halawa prison hospital. They had drugged him, but his sleep had not been a peaceful or natural one.

Today had been spent alternating between restless pacing and fitful spells of slumber.

He preferred to be awake, even if it meant wearing holes in the floor, but the drugs they'd given him had screwed with his sleep cycle.

His body demanded rest every few hours, and despite his training, Steve had no choice but to give in.

Yet, even his dreams were not safe from his enemies and the dire reality he faced.

After a whole day with no word from Chin on Danny's whereabouts, Steve's sleep was plagued with reoccurring nightmares. It was a vicious circle that was slowly wearing his emotions down to the wick.

He sat up and rubbed his face with trembling hands.

The dreams were always the same – Steve enacted his ultimate revenge on Wo Fat, only to discover at the end that he'd killed one of those closest to him.

This time it was Danny. Last time it had been his father. The time before that it had been Kono.

He hated the dream, not for what it depicted, but for how it made him feel: dead…emotionless…absolutely consumed with the need for revenge.

And at the end of it all he felt nothing. No vindication. No guilt.

In the dream he became the thing he most dreaded – an alone and unfeeling monster.

What made it even worse was knowing he had that darkness within him, that ability to be so consumed with hate after everything he'd lost.

He'd always managed to keep that side of him locked away; restraining the beast with all the self-discipline and determination of a respectable military man.

Yet it terrified him, what he might become.

He knew it deep down in his gut - Wo Fat's goal was not to kill him, but to destroy him.

Jenna Kaye was right – the man was vindictive. He wanted to bring McGarrett down to his own level. To take away every good thing in his life, leaving him broken, faithless, and alone.

And then, like the devil himself, he would come for McGarrett's soul.

Steve shivered involuntarily, rubbing his upper arms and willing the last vestiges of the terrible nightmare out of his mind.

He was a man of action; this helplessness was wreaking havoc on his psyche.

Not for the first time, he contemplated breaking out of this place.

It wouldn't take much. He could do it.

But then he thought about Danny, his partner and best friend.

If Steve broke out of jail, it might very well kill any chance of clearing his name.

That would really piss Danny off.

More than that, it would make Danny's suffering meaningless – maybe even get him killed.

Steve couldn't live with himself if Danny died because of his foolishness.

He'd already royally screwed up by going after the Governor. He'd been rash; impulsive.

Steve couldn't afford to make anymore decisions that might hurt those around him.

No. He'd stay where he was and leave the rescuing to Chin.

He flopped on his back, one arm bent underneath his head as he fixed his gaze on the ceiling.

He'd stay where he was…for now.

* * *

><p>"Rachel…<em>Rachel<em>…if I knew any more I would tell you."

Chin paced anxiously back and forth in front of the couch where Kono sat, large spoon in hand, eating cookie dough ice cream straight from the carton.

"Believe me; Danny would want you to stay in New Jersey until this blows over."

Kono watched as her older cousin stopped pacing, reaching up to massage the back of his neck. She could hear the weariness in his tone, and could only imagine how strung-out he must feel right now.

The stress he and Jenna Kaye had brought with them into her house earlier this afternoon had been suffocating. And there was nothing Kono could do to help them.

Her own chest had felt tight with nervous tension – the ice cream helped loosen it bit. Kono was one of those girls who ate when she was stressed. Comfort food.

Sighing in frustration, she scooped another heaping spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

"Yes, of course…Rachel, we'll find him. I promise."

The arm holding the cell phone dropped to his side as Chin ended the call, his head hanging in defeat.

"'Cuz?" She asked tentatively.

Chin spoke without turning to face her, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know where he is, Kono. I don't have the first clue of where to look."

She placed the tub of ice cream down on the coffee table and got to her feet, then walked over to the older man and placed a gentle hand on his back.

"Why aren't you working with HPD on this?"

Chin whirled around, running a hand through his hair as her hand slipped from his back.

"Because I don't know who to trust. Steve thinks the Chief of Police is dirty. I think he's right."

She shook her head. "I don't understand."

He stepped toward her, voice rising in frustration that was not intended to be directed at her.

"HPD offered me back my badge _the day before_ Laura Hills was murdered – doesn't that seem a little funny to you?"

His tone lowered to a growl, and his finger stabbed toward the floor at his words.

"For years they wouldn't even _look_ at me, Kono! I was treated like a leper. Why offer me back my badge – with a promotion – now?"

Kono looked at a loss. "I don't know."

Chin sighed, putting his hands on his hips.

"I think Wo Fat wanted to split the team. I think he wants to keep an eye on me, and if I get too close to the truth, he's gonna do the same thing to me that he did to Steve."

"I don't get it. How does he have that kind of power?" Kono exclaimed angrily.

Chin shrugged, shaking his head. "Honestly? I don't think I want to know."

"But Steve's already in jail for murder. Five-0 doesn't even exist anymore. Why kidnap Danny?"

"Out of all of us, Danny was in the best position to prove that Wo Fat killed the Governor. Personally, I think it's a strategic distraction. If I'm spending all of my time running in circles searching for Danny, it means I'm taking resources away from trying to clear Steve's name. Wo Fat doesn't want me to have enough time to get close to the truth."

"It's more than that," Jenna spoke up, walking in from the guest room that had recently been turned into a makeshift headquarters.

"Remember when I said Wo Fat was vindictive? Well, think about it - Danny is Steve's partner. Wo Fat sent those pictures to Steve while he was in prison."

She paused, eyes wide as she spoke with the voice of personal experience. "He's goading him."

"He wants Steve to try and break out of prison," Chin said slowly. "To make him look guilty."

"Or he just wants to torment him," Jenna replied grimly.

"Wo Fat knows he'd do it too. If he thought he could save Danny, Steve would break out of prison in a heartbeat," Chin said heatedly.

Kaye nodded. "And if Steve did break out of prison, it would just pull the attention even further away from Wo Fat and the Yakuza."

"Another distraction. Right. So we have to make sure Steve stays where he is," Chin responded.

"What about Danny?" Kono asked.

"I couldn't find a trace on his cell phone, so either it's not on him or it's broken," Kaye replied.

"I spent most of last night trying to get a lead off of one of our informants – no one's talking."

"Okay, so where does that leave us?" Kono asked impatiently.

"'Us'? There is no 'us', Kono," Chin retorted harshly. "Or maybe you haven't realized that the electronic bracelet around your ankle has a GPS tracker."

Kono just glared, refusing to show that she was hurt by his sudden cruelty.

They'd all been under extreme pressure lately – especially Chin.

Her older cousin walked around like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Kono only wanted to help share the heavy burden – but he had consistently pushed her away.

She sensed it was his way of protecting her – of keeping her from violating the terms of her house arrest.

Still – it stung.

She slumped back down onto the couch, grabbed her tub of ice cream and hugged it to her chest.

A thought came to her as she sat there, and the raw clarity of it was enough to steal away her appetite.

Danny Williams was the glue that held Five-0 together. He was their rock.

The fact that they were so suddenly and rapidly coming apart at the seams was proof of that.

"We need you, Danny," she whispered.

And for the first time in long time, as Kono sat staring brokenly into the melting sea of ice cream, she prayed.

* * *

><p>Something hard pushed against Danny's lips, and lukewarm water quickly spilled into his mouth before his mind could register what it was.<p>

He choked, and the hacking coughs that ensued sent lightning bolts of pain shooting through his skull.

"Easy brah," Kamekona murmured, his big hands stabilizing the smaller man's shuddering form.

"G-give a guy…a-a little w-warning next time," Danny whispered, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Only if you wake up next time, brah," the large man said, and Danny could hear the thinly veiled fear in his tone.

The tone bothered him, but he couldn't think of why.

In fact, he couldn't think of much of anything. His brain felt like soup.

A draft of cool air brushed his skin, and Danny shivered involuntarily.

"C…cold…"

He felt something firm and warm tighten around him, and smelled a whiff of dank body odor.

Arms. Big, sweaty arms.

Danny's eyes were closed, but in his head he could picture his broken body being cradled by the big Hawaiian.

He had enough presence of mind to be mortified.

"T-tell me y-you're not…holding me…." he groaned.

Kamekona shrugged. "I ain't gonna lie to you, bruddah."

"Shit. Wh-where...?"

"I think we're in a warehouse on Canal Street."

Danny frowned. Nothing made sense to him.

He tried to sit up, only to have his movements blocked. "…the hell?"

"You shouldn't move around so much, bruddah. You ain't in the best shape."

Danny continued to shift restlessly in "Have…to…."

Suddenly, the arms tensed, and Danny froze as he heard a door creak open.

He tried to ignore the way Kamekona's arms tightened around him protectively.

He forced throbbing eyes open, but his vision was still shot, and he had to swallow at the sudden assault of dizziness and nausea.

"Detective Williams," Wo Fat's voice echoed viciously in Danny's ears.

"Are you ready for round two?"

_TBC..._

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Thoughts? Do share. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**: I do profusely apologize for the wait.

This chapter is short, but answers several questions. Hope you like it – please review!

**Chapter 3**: Gentle Giant

* * *

><p>Kamekona was no hero.<p>

Born the son of a prostitute and having never known his father, he had been raised by his grandmother in an old shack on the edge of the island.

Though his grandmother tried to protect him as best she could, Kamekona could not escape the influence of his mother's seedy lifestyle.

From a young age, he was used as a lookout by the drug dealers of his community, mostly his mother's friends and clients.

He was shy, awkward, and big for his age.

When he went to school – which was not often - he was relentlessly teased about his weight; although he was quickly befriended by smaller bullies who found his big size to be advantageous when stealing lunch money from the younger kids.

He'd had a few run-ins with the police as a young adult, but most were occurrences of guilt by association. Perhaps it was the relentless gentle influence of his grandmother, but Kamekona couldn't stomach violence. It wasn't in his nature to enjoy another being's pain.

Her dying wish was that he would lead an honest life, doing work that would keep him occupied and away from Hawaii's underworld. It was his probation officer who suggested the big man start his own business. After all, being an ex-con and having the background he did, Kamekona knew how to manipulate resources to get what he needed in life. He was also well known on the Island as a good-hearted fellow despite his arrest record.

Hence, _Waiola Shave Ice_ _Shack_ became Kamekona's pride and joy.

He appreciated the quiet, slow life of one who lived in a tropical paradise.

He tried his best to stay out of trouble, watch out for the little guys, and be a good friend.

His grandmother had always told him that because he was so much bigger than other people, he had to be careful. Kamekona had never lifted a hand against another human in his life. Unlike most men, he wasn't prone to grudges, anger, or rage. He was too easy-going; he loved life too much.

Kamekona was the type who'd rather run from a fight than harm another.

So when Wo Fat motioned for his thugs to grab the significantly smaller – and injured – Danny Williams, the big man was surprised to feel strong emotion flame up from his gut.

It had been the word on the street that one of 5.0 got jumped over on Wahalo Drive. Kamekona knew that address, knew that it had to be Danny.

He also knew that Steve was in jail, Chin was working with HPD, and Kono had lost her badge.

Danny had no one.

No one but him.

There was a certain unspoken code that had to be followed whenever family mixed with the world of crime. It involved loyalty, blood, and obligation – all for a price.

Kamekona - desperate, and already guilt-ridden - used that code to get to Danny.

He'd had some money stashed away in case of an emergency.

He'd used that money to bribe his greedy little cousin into letting him have five minutes alone with the Haole.

"_You owe me, little 'cuz. You owe me big."_

Kahuna had allowed Kamekona to sneak in the back door of the basement of an old run down factory.

That was a good half hour ago, and he'd promised the little Haole that he'd get him out of this mess; yet it had quickly become obvious that the detective's deteriorated condition was more serious than he'd originally thought.

He'd had only a small window of opportunity to escape. But as soon as he had moved to stand, the smaller man let out a moan – a sound so unnatural, so agonized, that Kamekona had frozen in horror.

He'd tried to take baby steps toward freedom, but even the slightest jostling of the semi-conscious man's body elicited such sounds of pain that the big man finally gave up – his heart couldn't take it.

His friend simply could not be moved.

The wiser thing probably would have been to leave the detective, to somehow contact the other 5.0 members. But Danny kept falling in and out of consciousness, and Kamekona couldn't bring himself to go. Besides, what if he left, and the man died? Kamekona wasn't sure he could live with that.

Nor was he sure that he could live with the guilt of knowing what he'd already done.

Kamekona had big family, and many of his family members operated on the wrong side of the law.

He also had a large network of friends, fellow ex-cons, and officers of the law.

Kamekona was a man with connections, which is how he came about being a confidential informant. He'd always had friends on both sides.

For years, he'd tried to tow the line, careful about what information he gave under what circumstances. He almost always knew more than what he let on – and that was hard. The kind of knowledge he possessed could get someone killed, something Kamekona had never wanted on his shoulders.

Yet it was always hardest when family was involved.

His grandmother used to tell him, "blood is thicker than water," but Kamekona wasn't so sure. His new Ohana had been good to him.

Still, when he learned that one of his younger cousins was working with Wo Fat, the big man kept it to himself.

He knew 5.0 was working tirelessly to find and capture the infamous arms dealer, and he'd warned his younger cousin that running in the same circles as Wo Fat would only lead to trouble. But Kanuha was only 19, and Kamekona still held out hope that the kid would comes to his senses – so he kept what he believed to be harmless information to himself.

What he didn't realize, however, was that Wo Fat had already suspected Kamekona was an informant, and had paid Kahuna to keep close tabs on who came and went from his house and the _Shave Ice Shack_.

Nor did he realize that Kanuha had reported to Wo Fat that Kamekona was, in fact, a 5.0 informant.

Or that, during a drunken night at one of the local bars, Kanuha had planted a wire tap in the big man's cell phone, after having received word from Wo Fat that 5.0 was somehow getting too close.

It wasn't until after he'd watched Steve being carted off in handcuffs on the news that the pieces started falling in place.

His suspicions were confirmed when he received a gloating phone call from his inebriated young cousin.

"_Thanks for helping me bring down Five-O, cousin. Wo Fat sends his regards."_

Kamekona had hung up on the younger man, horrified by what had transpired.

He'd been foolish. He'd been used - by a member of his own family.

And the Governor was dead.

He had blood on his hands.

And there was nothing he could do to make it right.

Because, even though Steve, Danny, Kono, and Chin were his friends – indeed, part of his _Ohana_, they were still Five-0. And he was still a parolee, a lowly CI.

If he would have turned in his cousin, the whole Island would have found out that he was a rat, and he would have become forever useless to his friends in law enforcement. He would also be targeted by the many criminals and family members who'd thought they could trust him.

Indeed – Kamekona would have been doomed to a life of exile, treated as a stranger, an outsider, in his own town. Surely his business would have been ruined – and then what would he do? Return to the easy life of crime no doubt, and spit on his grandmother's very grave.

No. The better thing was infinitely harder.

Kamekona continued to walk the line, playing both sides and keeping an eye on his cousin.

If it's one thing he'd learned in prison, it's that you always keep a card up your sleeve.

That's how Kamekona came to be in that dingy basement, in what was turning out to be a fruitless attempt to save the life of one Danny Williams.

But as he watched the two thugs put hands on his injured friend, Kamekona realized he'd made a mistake.

He had no more cards to play.

"Detective Williams," Wo Fat announced. "Are you ready for round two?"

The two thugs pulled on Danny's arms, trying to drag him off the big man's lap.

The detective inhaled sharply, muttering a curse as his beaten body was unceremoniously yanked on.

Kamekona involuntarily tightened his hold, glaring at the two minions with contempt.

"He ain't goin' nowheres, brah," he told the thug closest to him. "You better back off."

The thugs released Danny momentarily, looking to their boss for further instructions.

"Kamekona. How…noble of you to want to join in the suffering of your friend," Wo Fat stated impassively. "However, if you value your life, you will release him."

"Kamekona!" His cousin Kahuna chose that moment to burst through the door, eyes widening at the sight before him.

The big man didn't dare say a word.

Wo Fat turned to stare at Kahuna, seemingly deep in thought. Tension crackled in the air.

Kamekona saw the man's arm twitch, knew he was reaching for a weapon, and it was as if a lightning bolt shot through his body.

"Run, Kahuna!" He shouted, so loudly that the two thugs actually jumped.

The young man didn't have to be told twice, he'd disappeared before Kamekona finished yelling his name.

If Wo Fat was angry at this turn of events, it didn't show.

He turned to face Kamekona with a look of cold calculation.

"I can see that you do not value your life. What a pity. Now you will die first."

Kamekona was filled with a righteous anger.

"If you 'dink you can take me," he taunted, gently easing Danny onto the floor.

"Wait…" Danny grasped his forearm in weak grip. "D-don't…"

"Shush, Jersey," the big man replied. "I got 'dis."

He stood and turned, the adrenaline already pumping into overdrive.

Kamekona was no hero.

But in that moment, he was ready to die.

_TBC..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**: Here's another short one, but hopefully a goodie. I apologize for the long wait between chapters – life still demands too much of me, lol.

Thank you to all who have reviewed this story – you keep me pushing to stay up until 2 a.m. on a Friday night putting my thoughts down on paper when I should be studying or sleeping. :P

**Chapter 4**: Perseverance

* * *

><p>Chin ran one hand through his hair as he slumped into the seat in front of the glass partition.<p>

The other hand grasped the black telephone receiver in a loose grip. He brought it to his ear, staring resolutely down at the dirty white ledge his elbows leaned on for support.

He sensed movement on the other side of the glass, and knew that Steve was sitting across from him in that offensive orange jumper. He could hear the man's breaths through the telephone connection, could feel the former SEAL's eyes boring into him, demanding answers he couldn't give.

Chin couldn't even look him in the eye.

As the silence lengthened, a million horror scenarios ran through Steve's mind. He imagined that the reason Chin couldn't speak - couldn't even make eye contact – was because Danny had been found…found dead.

His mind nearly shut down at the thought.

When he finally broke the oppressive quiet, Steve's voice was soft with fear. "Chin."

The anxious uncertainty in his friend's tone forced Chin to finally lift his head, his tired eyes full of self-doubt and recrimination.

"I can't find him."

Steve pursed his lips. "What have you got so far?"

Chin sat back in his chair, looking about as miserable as Steve had ever seen him.

"Nothing. I've got nothing. I found blood on the pavement next to Danny's Camaro, but there wasn't a trail, and no other evidence. Not a hair, not a fingerprint. Nothing in his apartment was touched. If any of the neighbors saw anything, they're not talking. And if any of our CI's heard anything, their lips are sealed. Kaye tried to trace his cell, but it's either not on him or not working."

Steve leaned forward, pressing the palm of his free hand into his eye.

"What about the description I gave you from the photos?"

"Kaye's doing a composite analysis of the abandoned warehouses in Hawaii. But it's a long shot considering we don't even know if Danny's being held in a warehouse, much less if he's still in the state."

He threw up a hand in frustration. "I've got _nothing_, brah."

Steve fixed him with a hard look. "That's unacceptable."

Chin glared back. "I _know_."

He sighed, then sent a furtive glance over his shoulder to make sure the guards weren't listening in.

"Look, is there any way you can those pictures to me? Maybe there's a print…a clue."

Steve shook his head. "I can't trust that it won't be intercepted."

Chin nodded, running his hand through his hair. "We just gotta keep at it. Something will turn."

His own words sounded hollow.

Truthfully, he was about at the end of his rope. Not only was he working hard to inconspicuously keep tabs on Steve and Kono's cases at HPD, but he now had Danny's kidnapping to investigate. It was getting to be too much.

"Listen, Chin," Steve began, lowering his voice. "The cards are stacked against us…."

Chin's head shot up, his eyes flashing. "No, Steve."

The former SEAL averted his gaze, his adam's apple bobbing at a frenetic pace.

"Danny's life is on the line."

"Damn it, Steve!" Chin hissed, smacking the palm of his hand down on the ledge. "You'll jeopardize everything! It's exactly what they want you to do!"

Steve looked at him then, his eyes filled with a calculated rage. "I guarantee you, they won't see me coming."

Chin leaned back, spent. He knew he would never be able to talk McGarrett out of it. He was too tired to try. The world continued to spin out of control, away from him, like water droplets falling unbidden off the ends of his fingertips.

"You find me something. A location, a name, a hunch – anything."

The older man nodded, finding absurd the sudden burning sensation behind his eyes.

"We're gonna find him, Chin." Steve's voice was resolute. "Failure's not an option."

* * *

><p>Kono, having fallen into a sugar-coma, had been dozing on the couch for almost half an hour when she started at a sharp, frantic knocking at her front door.<p>

"What the - ?"

She peeked out the front window, frowning at the sight of a strange man standing on her porch.

Biting her lip, she walked over to a nearby closet and pulled her backup piece out of the hanging holster, tucking the gun discreetly in the back waistband of her jeans.

"Who's banging?" Jenna asked, walking out into the main room wearing an expression of annoyance.

"Shhh – just –" Kono motioned for the ex-CIA agent to stay back.

Eyes wide, Kaye pulled out her cell phone, ready to hit speed dial if needed.

Kono opened the door, having to step aside as the athletically built Hawaiian half-shoved, half-fell his way inside.

The slender woman slammed the door shut and pulled her gun out, not giving the man a chance to rise from his knees.

"Keep your hands where I can see them," she ordered sharply.

She noted the man's appearance. His clothes were saturated with sweat, and his hands, held at about ear-level, were trembling violently. He was breathing as if he'd just run a marathon.

"Who are you?" Kono demanded.

"My name is Kahuna Taluwaika," he said. "I'm Kamekona's cousin."

* * *

><p>Chin got the call not less than ten minutes after leaving Halawa Correctional.<p>

"Chin – we know where Danny is."

He practically floored it back to Kono's place.

* * *

><p>Steve knew there was really only one way to get outside of prison, aside from tunneling through a wall.<p>

His plan was risky, but incredibly simple.

He waited until dinner time, when all of the inmates marched in double lines to the cafeteria.

He scanned the crowd, found the man he was looking for, and waited for the guards to turn their heads long enough that he could make his move.

He timed it perfectly, then launched himself at a large Samoan man with the tattoos of a gang-banger.

Within seconds, the cafeteria fell into chaos, and Steve found himself outnumbered six to one.

He'd had worse odds, but the game was different this time. It took everything he had in him to not fight back. After all, it had to look bad if he was going to get a ticket out of there.

A hard blow to the chest left him flat on his back, the air knocked out of lungs.

The Samoan leered above him, his buddies in a half-circle around them, cheering him on.

Steve could hear the guards shouting and knew they were only seconds away from regaining control.

Suddenly, a searing pain shot through his gut, and Steve's body recoiled.

His hand flew down to the source of the agony, where it wrapped around something slippery and hard.

He'd been stabbed.

His vision narrowed with the spiking pain, tunnel-like, and he struggled to focus on his surroundings.

The Samoan was still above him, and Steve watched as the man was tazed by a guard.

The shouting began to fade and everything grew hazy as Steve's hearing became more and more distorted.

The last thought he had before losing his tenuous hold on consciousness was that getting shanked hadn't exactly been part of the plan.

He'd failed again.

_TBC_...

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Alas, I couldn't fit Danny into this chapter - it wouldn't have flowed right. Anyway, this chapter's a bone for all you Steve-whump lovers out there. :P :P

I would like to point out that my story's events will parallel the Season 2 premiere - with some differences made to support my plot. Just an FYI.

Please do let me know your thoughts!


End file.
